This website began as a place to put
articles, ideas and resources I wanted to share with other
homeschoolers all in one tidy place. Several years
later, it's a bigger website than I ever thought it would
be, and it is anything but tidy. Still, I harbor the
hope that navigation is not too hard, and folks can find a
bit of information about Charlotte Mason, Nature Study,
Literature, homeschooling, and how it all fits together.

Most of the pages on this website contain
at least a bit of advice, some full length articles, and
quite a few booklists. Please browse a bit.

The question I get from
mothers interested in Charlotte Mason's method is, "What's
the point of all that outdoor activity?" Charlotte
Mason believed that education was an atmosphere, a
discipline, a life. An outdoor education provides the
child with these three instruments of education, and
provides the foundation for education in all subjects.
Consider these six points Miss Mason puts forth in her
discussion of the instruments of education (pg 177 of Home
Education):

a)That the knowledge most
valuable to the child is that which he gets with his own
eyes and ears and fingers in the open air.

b)That the claims of the
schoolroom (including the homeschool room) should not be
allowed to encroach on the child’s right to long hours of
daily exercise and investigation.

c)That the child should be taken
daily, if possible to scenes—moor or meadow, park, common,
or shore—where he may find new things to examine and so add
to his store of real knowledge.

d)That vigorous healthful play
is, in its turn, as important as lessons, as regards both
bodily health and brainpower.

e)That the child, though under
supervision, should be left to himself—both that he may go
to work in his own way on the ideas he receives, and also
that he may be more open to natural influences.

f)That the happiness of the
child is the condition of his progress, that his lessons
should be joyous, and that the occasions of friction in the
schoolroom are greatly deprecated.

These are precepts we must keep in mind
for all aspects of homeschool. What better place to find so
much atmosphere than outside? So, please, go outside,
and see what you can find. Your children will love
you for it...and they'll be learning, too!

Chemist
Hideki Shirakawa of Japan, 2000 winner of the Nobel Prize
in chemistry, said, in an interview in the Asahi Evening
News, that long hours of nature study were critical
in his formation as a scientist. And providing this
time outside for our young people is so easy. Here is
a booklist to help you out!

Field
Guides

Peterson's Field Guides are my favorite. They always have
clear drawings and hints for easy identification.

How About Orienteering?

You can Be Expert with Map and Compasswith this book. Orienteering is fun and educational...and it has
real-world applications! And a compass makes a great stocking
stuffer, party favor or gift for any time of year.

Holling C. Holling's Books

From the Mississippi to the sea, and across the great
lakes, Holling's books will take you on a continental adventure. With maps,
wonderful text, and some of the best illustrations of any children's books,
these are a must-have for any homeschool collection.
Paddle-to-the-Sea is now available on
audio CD!